Now It's Just Us (Wrong Girl Book 2)

by Lauren Crossley

“I do.” Zack snaps angrily, stealing the card from me once more.

  “What are you doing? Give that back!” I yell, chasing after him.

  “Why? Why do you need it?” He challenges me furiously. “Do you plan on contacting him? Is that why you want to keep it?” He demands, holding it out of reach from me.

  “No! I-I don’t know!” I cry, confused and more than a little pissed off that Zack thinks he can keep anything that belongs to me for himself.

  “What are you trying to say, Samantha? That you miss him? You want to contact him again? You want him as a part of your life, is that it?”

  “No, it’s just… we’ve been friends for years and I’ve always wanted to know why he did what he did. If anything, I want an explanation from him.”

  I know that the chance of being able to make Zack understand is close to impossible but I can at least try. I’ll only regret it if I don’t.

  “He gave you one. He wrote it down in black and white!” He yells, close to tearing the wretched card in two. “He said he wanted you to turn to him for a shoulder to cry on. He didn’t give a shit about me and you, all he cared about was having you all to himself.”

  “I know what he did was unforgivable but what you and I did to Rachel was ten thousand times worse. How can I not forgive Jason when I so badly want the people I’ve hurt to forgive me? It would make me a hypocrite.” I explain, pleading with him to believe me.

  “I don’t want you to go anywhere near him.” He growls menacingly, glaring down at Jason’s phone number which he included within the card.

  “Why not?”

  “Because he’s a prick and I’ve always thought so. He’s been wanting to get into your pants for years and I’m not going to give him the opportunity.”

  “Do you really think that little of me? You think I’m that easy?” I ask, fighting to gain some control over the extremity of my emotions.

  “Of course not.”

  “That’s what you just said!”

  “Look, I didn’t mean-”

  “I know exactly what you meant!” I snap, cutting him off mid-sentence. “I slept with my own sister’s fiancé so I’m bound to cheat on you with my old friend. It’s inevitable.” I say sarcastically, furious with him for making me feel like this.

  “Stop it.” He warns me, grabbing hold of my arms firmly.

  The card slips out of his fingers, suddenly discarded at our feet.

  “I really don’t want to talk about this now, Zack. I have to go and meet Audrey.” I remind him, walking into the hallway to get my jacket.

  “Fine.” He grumbles, reluctant to let this go. “All I want to know is how the hell does he know your address?”

  I pause, the realisation that Jason now knows where I’m living sends a chill down my spine, especially after thinking I was being watched last night.

  It couldn’t have been Jason… could it?

  “I don’t know how he knows I’m living here.” I reply truthfully. “Let’s just put this topic of conversation off until tomorrow, ok?”

  “Fine.” He agrees begrudgingly. “But this isn’t over.”

  That’s exactly what we did as soon as we left the house and Zack has been true to his word throughout our journey into town. I’m glad he agreed to forget all about the Jason situation for the rest of today and focus on my birthday instead. I know we’re going to have to talk things through tomorrow but for now, I just want to erase it from my memory.

  Zack turns the corner and switches off the car’s engine, turning to look at me in my seat.

  “Have fun with Audrey.” He says, leaning over in his seat to kiss me. “I’ll pick you up in three hours, ok? I’ll be parked right here.”

  “Ok.” I smile sweetly, nervously glancing out of the passenger window.

  “What’s the matter?” He demands, once again revealing just how well he knows me.

  “I’m just a little concerned about the amount of money you just gave me to spend.” I answer, reluctantly turning around in my seat to face him.

  “I gave you my credit card.” He responds calmly. “It’s not like I handed you a huge wad of cash or something.”

  “It’s almost the same thing.” I protest firmly. “You still told me that there’s no limit to what I spend today on an outfit today, on lunch or anything else I might see.”

  “That’s because it’s your birthday. Baby, it’s your day to be spoilt.”

  “Zack, you spoil me every day.” I grumble. “Financially, I contribute absolutely nothing to our relationship. You pay for absolutely everything and I’m starting to feel like a 1950’s housewife or something who sits at home cooking and cleaning.”

  “I should be so lucky. When do I ever see you do any housework?” He jokes, laughing at me as he successfully dodges the playful slap I try to give him.

  “I do so!” I exclaim indignantly. “I polished the other day.”

  “That’s right. You polished. I forgot about that.” He says, humouring me whilst trying to suppress one of his mischievous smiles.

  I roll my eyes and fold my arms across my chest, unwilling to let this go.

  “I’m serious. I need to figure out what it is I want to do so I can start paying my own way. It’s not fair that I expect you to support me.”

  “Sweetheart, I support you because I want to and I want you to have the freedom to decide what your vocation is going to be. Until then, I like taking care of you and providing you with everything you need. Please let me.” He begs, touching my chin lightly so he can turn my face towards his.

  “Fine. I guess I don’t have much choice about it right now, do I?”

  “Nope. Now go on and by something that’s worthy of being worn by you, ok? There’s no price limit, I mean it.”

  I roll my eyes again and stick my tongue out as him as I get out of the car.

  “Twenty-four years old… real mature, Samantha.” He teases me, rolling up his car window before I have a chance to respond.

  I stand on the pavement, glaring after him in annoyance. He had such a smug look on his face, knowing that he would get to have the last word.

  Argh! Sometimes that man drives me crazy.

  I’m on my way to the small café where I’ve planned to meet Audrey fifteen minutes later. I had a quick browse through a couple of stores after Zack dropped me off but couldn’t see anything I liked. I’m hoping that Audrey might have some more suggestions and be able to help me out after lunch.

  I’m walking with my head down as I check my phone to see if I’ve received a new message from Audrey when I accidentally barge right into someone. My phone slips out of my hand and clatters to the floor beneath my feet.

  “I’m so sorry!” I apologise sincerely, realising it was probably my own fault for not looking where I was going.

  “Sammy?”

  I freeze, choosing to remain where I am just above the ground rather than stand and face the owner of that voice. My level of fear is impossible to explain, it’s choking me to the extent that I feel like I can no longer breathe, let alone speak. I know that if I lift my eyes, my whole life will change. I’ll become that little girl again, the one who was too horrified by the disgustingly vile things that were done to her. The same little girl who despises the name he just called me. The same name he would use when he came into my bedroom all those years ago.

  “Dad, can you come inside for a second? I’ve spotted the cutest little outfit which I want you to take a look at.”

  My body flinches when I hear a second voice. A voice I never thought I would hear again. The one voice I have longed for as well as being the one I have dreaded.

  Rachel.

  I finally find the strength to pull myself onto my feet, forgetting all about my broken pieces of phone which are scattered. She’s smiling at him, a joyful, exuberant expression on her face until she notices him staring at me. Her eyes leave him and land on me, widening in absolute shock and disbelief.

  “Sam?” She whispers, almost inaudibly
.

  All the colour drains from her face, changing her appearance so drastically. It’s obvious that I’m the last person she expected to bump into and by the horrified expression on her face. It’s apparent that even though it’s been ten months since we last saw one another, this has not changed the way she feels about me. Her revulsion is crystal clear. My sister still despises me and I have no right to blame her.

  “Hi, Rachel.” I mumble, wringing my fingers together in anguish.

  This is torture. Absolute torture. I feel like I might faint any second and can hardly bring myself to focus on her or anything to do with my current surroundings.

  I know that saying hi to her has got to be one of the stupidest things I’ve ever said but what else was I supposed to say to her? I can hardly forget the fact that she just greeted my uncle, the same man that abused me as a little girl as her father. She acknowledged him so warmly and with such adoration, it’s enough to make me feel nauseas.

  Harry is the biological of Rachel but she only found out about it last year. My mum told me that he didn’t even know about it himself and the last time I heard anything about him was when they were discussing him coming over for Zack and Rachel’s wedding. He’s been living abroad for years and that’s exactly how I needed it to be.

  “Dad, do you mind giving me a minute? I’ll come inside in a second.” Rachel asks him, refusing to tear her penetrating gaze away from me.

  “Of course, honey. I’ll see you in a moment.” The monster replies, leaning in towards me.

  I want to throw up. I want to claw his eyes out. I want to run away and disappear into thin air at the exact same time.

  “Don’t touch me.” I seethe uncontrollably, clenching both of my fists.

  He stops, clearly taken aback by my revulsion towards him.

  “As if I’d want to.” He snarls. “I know what you did to your sister but like I always say… once a whore, always a whore.”

  I swear I have to swallow the vomit which keeps on rising up in my throat. I’m seven years old all over again, terror-stricken, paralysed with fear and worthless. At least, that’s how his mere presence makes me feel.

  As soon as he disappears inside the store that Rachel came out of, I turn to face her. She looks absolutely stunning. Her hair is still long, a chocolate brown colour like it used to be before. However, I can see she’s had some highlights put in it which makes her look even more sensational than she did before. Her curvaceous body looks breath-taking in the black pencil skirt she’s wearing with an expensive looking white blouse tucked into it. Rachel has always been taller than me but today her height is increased by the stiletto heels she’s wearing.

  Once again, I don’t measure up. I don’t even begin to compare.

  “I didn’t know you were back from London.” I say quietly, struggling to make eye contact with her.

  Her abhorrence for me is penetrable, permeating the air around us until I swear I can actually feel it penetrating my body.

  “I came back about a month ago.” She replies brusquely, reaching into her handbag for her phone.

  I’m just about to reply to her when she holds her hand up, preventing me.

  “Rachel, I-”

  “I need to make a phone call. Hold on a moment.” She quips harshly, instantly dismissing me. “Hannah, it’s me. Can you meet me at the spot we arranged right now? It’s urgent.”

  I have no idea who Hannah is or why my sister wants her to meet us right now. There’s a thousand things I want to say to her and a thousand things I want to know. The only thing is… I don’t know where to start.

  “I didn’t think I would ever see you again.” I admit, staring at the ground beneath us. “I guess that’s why I haven’t got a clue what to say to you.”

  “If you’re speechless right now, just wait and see how you feel in a couple of minutes.” She taunts, glowering at me with a cruel smirk on her face.

  “What do you mean? I don’t understand.”

  “You soon will.” She assures me. “Everything is going to make sense to you in about thirty seconds.”

  She smiles and waves at someone behind me, forcing me to turn around and see who the recipient of her acknowledgement is. I spot a woman I’ve never seen before walking towards us, she’s pushing a pram and smiles at Rachel warmly.

  “What’s going on? Who is this?” I ask, turning to face my sister in confusion.

  “Well…” She speaks slowly, making her way towards the pram so she can pick the sleeping baby out of it. “This is Hannah, one of my closest friends and this… this is my daughter. Her name is Amber.”

  Time stops. My world comes to a standstill as I try and digest what she just said to me.

  “Y-your daughter?” I stammer, physically incapable of speaking clearly.

  “That’s right.” She boasts, angling the beautiful, dark haired baby towards me so I can see her properly. “This is your niece.”

  “I thought you had an abortion.”

  “That’s what I told Zack.” She informs me, struggling to conceal her exuberance. “But it was a lie. This is our baby… she’s Zack’s daughter.”

  To be continued…

  To my readers…

  If you are reading this right now, it means you have completed my book and for that I want to say THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for sticking by me, thank you so much for your incredible emails and your kind words. Thank you for falling in love with the same characters that I fell in love with, embracing them and their flaws as well as understanding the writing and the stories I create. Words cannot express how much I value each and every one of you. It is the highlight of my day when I receive an email from one of you so please do carry on reaching out to me.

  My email address is laurencrossleyauthor@gmail.com and I promise to respond to every single email I receive. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. I could not do this without YOU.

  If you can spare five minutes of your time please try and leave my book a review on either Amazon or Goodreads. I appreciate it so much and it really does make all the difference to potential readers who might be debating whether or not to take a chance on one of my stories. I will continue to keep you all updated on my writing and my future projects via Goodreads and like I said before, please feel free to email me. I can’t wait to hear from you! I really hoped you enjoyed this short novella and I also hope you will be back here with me again to read the next!

  Love always, Lauren x